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Chapter 3.45
Special Events

Sections:

3.45.010 Definitions.
3.45.020 Special events office.
3.45.030 Duties of Special Events Office.
3.45.040 Date and location preference for established special events.
3.45.050 Applications for special event permits.
3.45.060 Processing of applications for special event permits.
3.45.070 Vending, liquor sales and temporary signage in special event zones.
3.45.080 Time deadlines.
3.45.090 Departments' duty to notify of permits.
3.45.100 Special Events Advisory Committee.
3.45.110 Regulations.

3.45.010 Definitions.

As used in this chapter the following terms have the following
meanings:

"Clear" means that there is not a special event or
other organized event authorized by a City department scheduled at the same time
and in the same place as a special event for which an application is filed with
the Special Events Office and that there is no established special event
entitled to such time.

"Established special event" means a special event
which has occurred on substantially the same days of the same week or weeks in
the same month, at substantially the same place, for five or more years.

"Festival" means an organized social, cultural,
religious, artistic, athletic or like event taking place on one or more days
which involves use of public right of way/property and which is not a parade.

"Organizer" means the entity which is organizing and
in charge of the conduct of a special event.

"Parade" means an organized movement by a group of
people along City property for social, cultural, religious, artistic, festive,
expressive, commemorative, or like reasons or purposes.

"Private property" means all property that is
located within the boundaries of the City, except for property that is owned by
the City or by a governmental entity that is not subject to City regulation.

"Production zone" means one or more areas, not
necessarily contiguous to each other, used by a special event organizer for the
production of the special event, including, but not limited to, stages,
barricades, parked vehicles, booths, tents or other temporary or permanent
structures, temporary signage and/or utility poles, and the area immediately
surrounding them.

"Public right-of-way/property" means any property
that is owned or controlled by the City, including but not limited to streets,
sidewalks, parks, plazas, malls, and public buildings.

"Related departments" means City and non-City
government departments or agencies which the special events program executive
believes will be involved in facilitating, regulating and assisting a particular
special event. Related departments may vary, depending on the size, nature and
location of particular special events, and may include, by way of example and
not by way of limitation, (i) the Mayor; (ii) the President of the Board of
Aldermen; (iii) the Fire Chief; (iv) the Commissioner of Emergency Management;
(v) the Excise Commissioner; (vi) the Director of Streets; (vii) the Director of
Parks, Recreation and Forestry; (viii) the Director of Public Utilities; (ix)
the Director of Health and Hospitals; (x) the President of the Board of Public
Service (xi) the Director of the Business Assistance Center; (xii) the License
Collector; (xiii) the Collector of Revenue; (xiv) the Port Authority Director;
(xv) the Chief of Police; (xvi) the Operational Planning office and Traffic
Division of the Police Department; (xvii) the Bi-State Development Agency/METRO;
(xviii) the National Park Service; (xix) the Convention and Visitors Commission;
(xx) the St. Louis Sports Commission; (xxi) the Coast Guard; (xxii) the Missouri
Department of Transportation and (xxiii) the Illinois Department of
Transportation.

"Special event" means an organized event which is
open to the public, requires a permit or other approval from more than one City
department or agency other than the Special Events Office, and takes place on
public right of way/property, including but not limited to parades, certain
charitable runs or walks, street fairs, and festivals. "Special event"
does not include (i) picnics, barbecues, sports activities or private events at
park facilities, under permits from the Department of Parks, Recreation and
Forestry, or (ii) events of any kind in Forest Park, or (iii) block observances
of National Night Out.

"Special event zone" means the entire area in which
a special event occurs and includes the production zone, all vending locations
connected with the event, temporary signage, and the area expected to be
occupied by persons attending the event.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 1, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.020 Special events office.

There is hereby established a Special Events Office as a
division of the Department of Public Safety, which Office shall consist of:

1. A special events program executive, who shall be appointed
by the Director of Public Safety in accordance with Article XVIII of the
Charter. The program executive shall be the executive head of the Special Events
Office, shall have general direction and control of such office, and shall be
responsible for carrying out the duties of such office. The program executive
shall receive a salary fixed in accordance with ordinance provisions. The
program executive shall have such additional authority, duties and
responsibilities as may be authorized by this chapter or by subsequent
ordinances.

2. A Special Events Office staff, to consist of such
technical, clerical, stenographic, and other personnel as deemed necessary by
the manager. The program executive shall appoint and supervise the Special
Events Office's personnel pursuant to the civil service provisions of the
Charter and ordinances, and when they are to be compensated, may make such
expenditures within the appropriations therefor, or from other funds made
available, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. In all
applicable cases, the system of personnel administration in the Special Events
Office shall be in accordance with the merit system requirements of Article
XVIII of the Charter, as supplemented by ordinance, rules or regulations.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 2, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.030 Duties of Special Events Office.

The Special Events Office shall:

1. Maintain and make available to the public standardized
written descriptions of the City's requirements for different types of special
events.

2. Issue permits consistent herewith for special events.

3. Maintain and distribute a current schedule of (i) future
special events in the City for which permits have been issued and (ii)
established special events unless the Special Events Office is notified by the
organizer of an established special events that the event will not occur.

4. Assist organizers of special events to obtain permits
needed from other City departments.

5. Act as a liaison/coordinator among all governmental
agencies and departments in the City which have duties or functions relating to
special events.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 3, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.040 Date and location preference for established special
events.

The special event office shall reserve the dates and location
of a special event which has become an established special event. Unless the
special event office has been notified by the organizer of the established event
that the established special event does not wish to continue to reserve its
dates and location, the Special Events Office shall not issue a permit for
another special event for such dates and location.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 4, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.050 Applications for special event permits.

A. An application for a special event permit other than a
parade shall be filed with the Special Events Office not less than sixty
calendar days before the first proposed day of the special event.

B. An application for a special event which is a parade shall
be filed with the Special Events Office not less than ninety calendar days
before the proposed day of the parade.

C. An administrative processing fee of twenty-five dollars
($25.00) shall be paid with the application for any special event permit, with
the exception of neighborhood block parties, which will be free of such
administrative processing fee. This fee is separate from and not in lieu of any
other fee required for any permit or authorization relating to the special
event.

D. An application for a special event permit shall be made on
a form prescribed by the Special Events Office and shall contain the following
information, together with additional information which the Special Events
Office may determine appropriate from time to time:

1. The name and general nature of the proposed special event;

2. The dates and beginning and ending times of day of the
proposed special event;

3. The location of the proposed special event;

4. The identity of the organizer of the special event and the
names, residential and business addresses, and telephone numbers of such
organization's board of directors or committee and of its manager or staff
director;

5. An estimate of the number or participants or attenders of
the proposed special event;

6. Whether the proposed special event will involve aquatic or
aerial activities, or pyrotechnics/fireworks;

7. The times, dates and locations of specific events proposed
as part of the event, e.g. concerts and a description of such events;

8. The boundaries of the proposed special event zone and the
locations of the production zone within the special event zone;

9. A detailed description of food and beverage service and
vending proposed during the special event, together with menus and a list of
items proposed to be sold during the special event;

10. The name and address of the security firm that will
provide security services to the special event and the name, addresses and
telephone numbers of the responsible person at such firm;

11. The name, address, telephone number and contact person of
the insurance broker which will provide insurance for the special event;

12. If the special event has one or more corporate sponsors,
the names thereof and the nature of their business, and the name, addresses and
telephone number of the responsible person at such corporation;

13. The name and telephone numbers of the organizer's
representative responsible for any required permits from other governmental
agencies which are not part of City government;

14. Information concerning temporary signage proposed for the
special event site, including the production zone;

15. A trash pick-up and recycling plan for the special event;

16. If the special event is a parade the special event permit
application shall contain the following additional information:

A. Upon receipt of a completed special event permit
application and the fee, the Special Events Office shall:

1. Immediately determine if the proposed special event dates
are clear, and if they are not, immediately advise the applicant.

2. Distribute the application for comment to the appropriate
related departments, if any.

3. If it deems such a meeting necessary because of the size of
the special event, or for any other reason, convene a meeting of the special
event organizer and representatives of the appropriate related departments.

4. Advise the applicant within ten days (fifteen days in case
of a parade) of all permits other than the special event permit which the office
believes will be required for the special event.

5. Advise the applicant within ten days (fifteen days in case
of a parade) of all insurance requirements for the festival.

6. Advise the applicant within thirty days if the special
event permit will be issued upon the applicant's obtaining all other necessary
permits and insurance, whether there will be any other conditions on the permit,
or if the permit is denied.

B. If an applicant has been advised that the special event
permit will be issued upon the applicant's obtaining all other necessary permits
and insurance, the Special Events Office shall issue the permit upon proof that
all such permits and insurance has been obtained, and shall send copies of the
permit to the related departments.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 6, 2-16-2009.)

After a special event permit has been issued, no new permit
(except permits issued in connection with other authorized special events
occurring within the clean zone time as defined in this section in all or part
of the special event zone) shall be issued for temporary vending, temporary
liquor sales or temporary signage within such special event zone for a period of
one to thirty days ("clean zone time") if and as determined by the
Special Events Office to be necessary for the successful and orderly conduct of
the special event before the beginning of the special event until the end of the
special event without the written consent of the special event permit holder.
The Special Events Office shall notify the special event permit holder, the
Excise Commissioner, the Building Commissioner and the License Collector of the
clean zone time for a special event as soon as such clean zone time is
determined.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 7, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.080 Time deadlines.

It is the policy of the City to encourage the holding of
special events within the City. Accordingly, for good cause as determined by the
special events program executive, time deadlines provided for in this chapter
may be reduced or waived provided such reduction or waiver is consistent with
public health and safety.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 8, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.090 Departments' duty to notify of permits.

All City departments and offices shall notify the Special
Events Office of any event for which such departments and offices issue permits
immediately after issuing such permits.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 9, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.100 Special Events Advisory Committee.

There is hereby established a Special Events Advisory
Committee to consist of at least five representatives of organizers of
established special events. The Mayor shall appoint the members of such
Committee subject approval of the Board of Aldermen. Such Committee shall meet
at least once annually or more frequently as it believes desirable and shall
offer suggestions to the Special Events Office concerning ways to enhance the
process of authorizing and regulating special events and the administration of
this chapter.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 10, 2-16-2009.)

3.45.110 Regulations.

The Special Events Office is authorized to promulgate
regulations consistent with this chapter and other applicable law to facilitate
the regulation of special events. Such regulations shall be approved by the City
Counselor's office and the Director of Public Safety prior to issuance and shall
be filed with the register. Except in emergency situations, such regulations
shall be submitted to the Special Events Advisory Committee for comment at least
thirty days prior to issuance.
(Ord. No. 68296, § 11, 2-16-2009.)